If you’re looking for a quick and healthy snack, nuts are the perfect option. Nuts contain the perfect amount of vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and fiber plant sterols. For a bite size food, they contain a powerful nutritional punch.

Nuts are known for their many health benefits. A study assessed the health risks involving 13,000 people. The study concluded that those who ate nuts fared better off than those that didn’t. They had a decrease in BMI and waist circumference, lower weight, blood pressure, and the likelihood of many metabolic syndromes decreased. Many nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and even cashews improve the vascular system as well. They promote proper blood flow and normal cardiac functions.

Nuts also combat the effects of some mental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and Schizophrenia. The contents of the omega-3 fatty acids combat these disorders, as well as help with rheumatoid arthritis.

Despite the many benefits, you should consume with caution. Nuts are a common allergenic substance, and being the allergic to one nut isn’t the same as being allergic to another. As long as you know what your body can and cannot consume, nuts are a wonderful healthy snack and can greatly improve your health!

Lifting weights helps shed off pounds, but it keeps the weight off too. You burn calories during strength training, and your body continues to burn calories even after. More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and strength training can boost your metabolism by 15%.

Lifting weights can even can help strengthen your bones. By putting the stress on your bones, you build up the bone density, ultimately preventing osteoporosis and other related bone diseases.

Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves firming up and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force. Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture. More significantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance, strength training can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 40%, a vital benefit, particularly as you get older.

Strength training will even elevate your level of endorphins which will make you feel great. It is also a

Exercising just three times per week can help you lose weight. Put aside 15- 20 minutes if you are just starting out. Try to increase your workout to 45 to 60 minutes per workout. By exercising at low to moderate intensity you will burn less calories than high intensity such as sprinting. You can torch calories quicker by increasing your level of intensity. If you are just starting out take it slow. You will see progress if you are consistent.

Here is a workout to try: “A” for beginners, “B” is a bit higher intensity

Eat a healthy breakfast with some lean protein- maybe an egg white and veggie omelet and some fruit.

Skip the bread, it’s just empty calories.

Add lower calorie veggies to your plate. Turnips are a good choice at 51 calories per cup with potatoes ringing in at 214. Check with the host that they are not smothered with butter. Green beans have 44 calories per cup, much better than the casserole which has 341 calories and 22 grams of fat.

Avoid soda and alcoholic beverages. Instead have water or an herbal tea, maybe apple or pumpkin spice. Sweeten with a little honey or stevia. For a lower calories alcoholic beverage, try a white wine spritzer. It has about 96 calories. Add 4 oz. wine and 2 oz. club soda and a lemon for garnish.

For dessert, just have a little.

Your Plan for Friday: Kick up your cardio today! Go for a long run, bike ride or walk. Enjoy 3 servings of fruit today. Apples, berries and grapefruit are good choices.

Have a large green salad for one meal today, 2 meals would be better. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water.

Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Many experts agree that Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially dark green and orange vegetables) and legumes — all popular salad ingredients; nutrient-rich plant foods contribute to overall health. If you frequently eat green salads, you’ll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.